Allentown Group Aiding Disabled Changes Name

Allentown's 11-year-old Architectural Barrier Removal Committee has changed its name to "Access to a Better Community." The group's purpose is to make it easier for handicapped people to get around.

Cheryl Nonnemacher, chairperson, said, "Access to a Better Community more accurately reflects the direction of this committee over the past several years."

The committee is composed of people with physical, mental, visual and hearing impairments as well as city staff members.

Nonnemacher, supervisor of employment development services at the Good Shepherd Vocational Services, said the committee reviews the needs of the disabled and establishes priority projects to correct problems they face daily.

As a result of the committee's effort, curbs were cut and ramps formed at street intersections; the city Building Code was amended to provide accessibility requirements in new buildings; communication systems were installed for the hearing-impaired in the city's communications center and the Human Relations/Equal Opportunity Bureau; and renovations were made to city facilities to accommodate the disabled.